Mount Pleasant

I personally love this area. The houses are beautiful (but way too expensive for one person to live in, you're better off gathering a bunch of friends and splitting the rent... if you're not married or with children that is). This place is completely rich in local independent retailers and restaurants. Common DC knowledge is that Adams Morgan (the next neighborhood over) is one of the more ethnically diverse places in the city, but Mount Pleasant is also full of amazing different types of cuisine and culture. Fantastic pizza, Mexican food, and great boutiques for custom and vintage clothes. Think of it as Adams Morgan's adorable sister. And it's only going to get better.

I personally love this area. The houses are beautiful (but way too expensive for one person to live in, you're better off gathering a bunch of friends and splitting the rent... if you're not married or with children that is). This place is completely rich in local independent retailers and restaurants. Common DC knowledge is that Adams Morgan (the next neighborhood over) is one of the more ethnically diverse places in the city, but Mount Pleasant is also full of amazing different types of cuisine and culture. Fantastic pizza, Mexican food, and great boutiques for custom and vintage clothes. Think of it as Adams Morgan's adorable sister. And it's only going to get better.

I love this neighborhood! Located in the northwest section of the city, this neighborhood is home to approximately 8,666 residents. Located adjacent to the National Zoological Park, Mount Pleasant is a mixture of "row home" attached single family homes as well as rental apartments and condominiums. In general, the neighborhood's boundaries are Piney Branch Park, 16th Street N.W., Beach Drive and Harvard Street N.W.. In 2010, the average price for a home sold in this neighborhood was $625,419, with 31% of the homes being owner occupied. If you bought here 10 years ago, you are more than likely sitting on lots of equity in your home.

Residents here will find numerous restaurants and places to shop in the neighborhood, especially Mt. Pleasant Drive N.W.. Bancroft Elementary School is located on Newton Street N.W.. There are a few places of worship in the surrounding neighborhoods, which will be appealing to some residents. Public transportation is available thru scattered Metro Bus stops in the neighborhood. On thing that is very problematic here in the lack of parking, which is particularly bad on the weekend when zoo visitors look for parking to avoid paying to use the zoo parking lots.

Crime against people and property do occur regularly according to recent crime statistics. As always check the most recent crime statistics to make an informed decision as to the crime risk in any neighborhood. I really like this neighborhood and think that is a great place.

Mount Pleasant is a neighborhood with a lot of diversity. All races are represented in significant numbers, though whites are about half. Rich, poor and middle class live here, which is quite unique for the DC area. Beautiful old row houses line many of the streets, with some condos and apartments mixed in as well. Mount Pleasant Avenue, the commercial district, has a wide variety of shops and services catering to each of the constituencies in the neighborhood. In fact, walking up and down there will give you quite a view of the diversity that is our country as a whole.
Because there are so many services, residents can pick up groceries on their way home from work, and get to walk several places. In fact, there are even several churches in the neighborhood for those who are so inclined. Metro busses and trains take residents all over the city to their jobs and doctor’s appointments. When they come home, there isn’t much to fear about walking to the house, as the neighborhood is pretty safe. During the early evening hours you will see people walking their dogs in the park, and mornings often include the local joggers taking advantage of the same scenery.

This diverse area of 12,000 people illustrates the dramatic changes that have occurred in the last 20 years in many neighborhoods in Northwest DC. Composed of a mixture of the affluent, the middle-class, and recent immigrants, Mount Pleasant has become one of the most vibrant and desirable areas of Northwest DC in which to live. The area is bordered by Rock Creek Park to the North and West, Adams Morgan to the South, and Columbia Heights to the East. The area was originally not part of the District, but was a “Streetcar Suburb,” housing middle- and upper-class government workers and officials; its residents included Senators and Congressmen. The composition changed after World War II, where the area became more ethnic and working class. After a period of “white flight” following the 1968 riots, the 1980s saw the return of the young middle-class along with an influx of Hispanic immigrants. As the affluence of the area increased, property values began to rise. According to the latest census figures, median income is far above that of the District as a whole. The area includes the original Queen Anne style row houses, mid-rise apartment and condominiums, and a four-block commercial area along Mount Pleasant Street.